


Mister the Tall Pianist

by Lyli_in_Wonderland



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: F/M, Reader-Insert
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-30
Updated: 2019-08-01
Packaged: 2020-03-29 21:55:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 4,761
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19028710
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lyli_in_Wonderland/pseuds/Lyli_in_Wonderland
Summary: Taking place in an alternalte, modern universe, Bertholdt is a talented pianist, although he is complexed with his fingers. Lucky him, he'll learn to get over this complex as he learns to fall in love with you.





	1. Part 1

Berthold Hoover despised his fingers. There was always something about them that repelled him. When he was young, they were tiny and weak, easy to hurt and clumsy. It was a wonder he never broke one up until now while Reiner, who was already burlier than him, found a way to crush a few while trying to get a heavy door not to close and lock him out from his apartment building as he had forgotten (yet again) his set of keys before leaving for school.

Long story short, as Berthold tried to get rid of his clumsiness that embarrassed him more than his abnormally long figure for a young boy, his parents enrolled him in a music class.

They didn’t choose his instrument for his own sake, not wanting to force him to do something that would end up embarrassing him (not that his first venue in the practice room wasn’t embarrassing, the poor thing just wanted to disappear behind his mom’s slim legs) or that he didn’t like for that matter.

And so he tried every type of instruments. He first tried the percussions as he didn’t trust his fingers to be agile enough to play on anything more elaborate. However, the loud sounds that would easily gain the attention of the other kids around him made him want to shrink in a shell like a hermit crab.

He then tried the stringed instruments as they could be much quieter. His fingers started to get stronger, but he quickly quit as the pain that would erupt to their tips each time he started practicing was unbearable to him. That, and he didn’t like the rough feeling that they were starting to gain from pinching the taut strings. He wanted his hands to get stronger, but not rough to the touch.

So then he tried the brass instruments, but quickly found out that they weren’t for him. The way he had to blow into the instrument while letting his lips vibrate against the mouthpiece made him feel awkward, which made him sweat and that resulted into the mouthpiece to be filled with water and dirty the whole interior of the instrument.

Then he finally tried the woodwind instruments. He liked their sound and they weren’t too hard to play either. His fingers lost of their clumsiness and gained flexibility, though he still had some difficulty with the beak that would quickly get wet and quite disgusting to say the least after his practice lessons. Though the reason he quit was after he overheard the responsible for the cleaning of the instruments grumbling about the ‘damn sweaty brat that was filling the beak of his instruments with his nasty body fluids’...

On the next lesson, he went up to the teacher to tell her that he didn’t want to play this type of instrument anymore, that he still got breathless too fast to become any good at it. Though, upon seeing Berthold’s defeated expression, his mistress walked him to the back of the class where a grand piano was standing...

Berthold’s lips etched upwards at the memory as he sat behind his own grand piano, playing a little tune to himself in the silence of the room.

His eyes had opened wide in wonder, awing at the impressive black instrument standing proud, but secluded in the corner of the room as it reflected his awestruck face. His teacher sat behind it and started playing a soft tune, so soft that he had to walk closer to her to hear it properly. That’s when he saw her fingers delicately hitting the keys in fluid movements. When he pressed a key to see if they were hard, he accidentally interrupted his teacher’s song, making him retract his hand as soon as it hit the dreaded key, his face flushed pink.

His teacher had laughed it off, making him sit beside her instead and started teaching him to make the instrument sing for his quiet and fragile heart.

Now that he thought about it, Berthold believed that it was because he thought that the piano was just like him that he chose to stick with it, not because he could reach his goal to shape his fingers in a way that would please him more. Indeed, the piano was a big instrument, the biggest in the room, just like he was the tallest; it stayed behind the class, unmoved, just like he preferred to be the wallflower; it was impressive, but could play the most delicate sounds, just like he had a glass heart...

However, as he grew, he started to notice his fingers getting long and slim, making him think of alien’s fingers when they flew over the 88 keys that formed the instrument. He despised it, yet, he didn’t want to stop playing the piano. At least, he discovered that it wasn’t as much because he didn’t want to, but because each time he didn’t play in too long, he felt like there was something inside of him that was growing bigger and heavier, difficult for him to walk around with while hiding it.

He only discovered later that his hidden beast was his emotions and that only the feel of his fingers hitting the keys of a piano could tame it. It was his only way of lifting his heart of his bottled up emotions that often nearly made him explode during the time he couldn’t practice anymore.

He remembered the day his old mistress told him that she was retiring. On that day, she asked him to play a duet with her on the grand piano that was soon to be his. They played wonderfully well, each note vibrating from the cords of the instruments to rise in the air of the room and write a song of passion on the walls and the ceiling. They were both elated at the end of the song that exploded in a rising crescendo.

But then she told him the news, making his poor heart to drop to his stomach, and then she asked him to play her one last song.

The same he was playing right now; full of sadness, but expressing his deepest appreciation of her whole teaching.

He remembered her crying as she thanked him before leaving after a tight embrace and a wet peck on each of his cheeks. He wasn’t sure which emotion was overwhelming her at that time. Was it sadness or pride? Even today, the mystery still remains...

“Why did you stop playing?”

Berthold bolted in his seat and turned his head to you as you snapped his mind right back into reality.

He stared at you, sitting a few rows back from the front in the music hall where he was rehearsing. It seemed that you were studying peacefully to the sound of his music until he stopped.

The thought made him blush tenfold.

“Ah, sorry, you’re probably done with practice. You were just looking like you would never stop and it was just so good that I never realized the time slipping so fast as I decided to study meanwhile...”

Berthold’s blush worsened as his suspicions were confirmed. And did you just compliment him? He didn’t want to believe it. You didn’t even know each other! Besides, he never got compliments from strangers before. Not directly, anyway.

“Ah eh... w-were you w-waiting f-for the piano? T-to practice?” He stuttered, causing his sweating to increase. “I-I’m s-so sorry if I took too long... I-I’ll leave now...”

“No no no! Wait! I-I didn’t come to practice! Just... getting some studying done...”

He stopped in his track as he heard your sudden stuttering.

“A-actually, I really liked to study while you played. It was easier to focus on my task...”

“T-thank you...”

You raised your head back up at him at the sound of his voice and smiled sweetly, trying to calm your still beating heart.

Not only the guy behind the piano was handsome, he seemed to be incredibly shy, which made him cute too, and he was an incredible musician on top of that! What could you want more in a man?

“A-are you going to play again o-or are you done?”

“W-well... I thought I was a-alone s-so I didn’t mind playing b-but... I don’t know if I can play before a p-p-public...”

“Oh, don’t worry, I’m not even focusing on you since I get absorbed in my studies!” You smiled brightly, hoping with all your heart that he would accept to play again for you.

But you could see him hesitating, his fingers fumbling nervously with his sleeve and the collar of his dress shirt.

“It’s alright if you don’t want to, I mean... You said you didn’t know if you could play before a public so...” You lowered your head, albeit dejectedly, and turned away to pick up your things, defeated.

Berthold felt bad to see that his decision made you so sad and even though a part of him wanted to keep playing, his mind was screaming at him not to, that he would mess up the song, skip a note, hit the wrong key or simply not play his songs on the right beat... all of that because your sudden appearance made him incredibly nervous. He couldn’t help himself. You were a stranger, about his age, a girl (and a cute one at that) and you had complimented his playing too!

But by the time he cleared his throat to tell you that you could stay for the end of his practice, you were already at the end of the hall, opening the door to exit the place.

You turned to him, a shy smile harboring your features as you left him standing there, his mouth slightly parted, with a shy “see you around, Mister the Tall Pianist and thanks for the amazing study music...”

Maybe you found him just as cute as he thought you were..?

Oh, who was he kidding? That was just impossible. A sweaty giant like himself? Pfft! Yeah, sure, maybe he’ll see you again in his dream, but certainly not in this hall ever again.


	2. Part 2

The week after your first encounter with the Tall Pianist (as you started nicknaming him since you didn’t know his actual name) you sneaked back into the music hall, but made your way to the tier so that you’d have a better view of the people below without them knowing that you were up there.

However, after checking to see if he was there, but didn’t see him anywhere, you decided to open your books and study in the silence of the room.

Quite frankly, you hated studying in silence at times like these. You were tired of your day and needed to focus on your studies for the day after, but you knew you couldn’t do it without music and you had just decided that you much preferred that tall guy’s music... but it was hard without the pianist himself.

Luckily for you, a sudden sequence of clear keen notes reached your ears and pulled you out of your sour mood. You quietly peeked over the guardrail and there he was, playing a tune by himself. It was slow and light hearted, as if to calm a child.

So you leaned back in your seat, reopening your book and scrolling through the pages at your regular rhythm, sometimes stopping when the music accelerated your heart with its uplifting melodies.

About an hour later, you were done with your preparations for tomorrow’s classes so you put your book away in your bag again and walked downstairs to make your way out, unnoticed, too self-conscious that you would look like a creepy stalker if you showed yourself and told him you were there since he started practicing.

However, you were still curious to know the name of your new favorite pianist...

And so curiosity killed the cat and you left him a Post-it on the exit door, praying that he wouldn’t start thinking that you were a creeper...


	3. Part 3

_I don’t think we did presentations. I’m [Name], nice to meet you, Mister the Tall Pianist._

Berthold stared at the note in his hand. He couldn’t believe it. You actually came back to the music hall to see him? But he didn’t see you (it was now a habit of his to check if there was anybody in the room before he started playing) so where could you have been? Unless it was Reiner pulling a prank on him again...

“Reiner...”

“Mh? What is it? Hey, what’s that?” The bulky blonde leaned over to look at the note his best friend was holding. “A note? From a girl?”

“You aren’t playing a prank on me, are you?”

“Ahahah! Nope my friend!” He patted his back. “Not this time around. It seems you really have a secret admirer. Good doing there, Bertl! Told you you could pick up a girl with those talented fingers of yours!”

Berthold looked down at his fingers, as slim and long as the rest of his limbs, reminding him of his complex of being overly tall.

“That’s because she only saw me from afar. I doubt she’ll think that I’m not scary anymore once she sees them...”

“Stop thinking negatively about that. Girls love their man to have long fingers.”

“Huh?” He turned his head to his friend only to see him wink at him, indicating what he was referring to when he said that, making Berthold sigh. “I’m serious Reiner, you better not pull a prank like that on me because I won’t forgive you this time. The last time with Annie was far too traumatizing, I don’t want to go through that again...”

“I know, I know, that time I went too far, but you know that’s only because I wanted to give you a starting push and get you to talk to her.”

“And I ended up tossed away on the floor in the blink of an eye with you following right after.”

“Yeah... that was quite uncomfortable and a real harsh turn off from her.”

“And you weren’t even the one she turned down...”

They walked some more in silence until Reiner spoke again.

“You’re going to answer her message or will I have to do it for you?”

“No way I’ll let you interfere in my love life ever again.”

“So you’re gonna do it?”

“Won’t it be weird if I do? And what if someone else picks up the note before her and-“

“What did I just say?”

“Fine, I get it.”


	4. Part 4

_Hey there, [Name] (at least I hope you’re the one reading that note and that nobody else picked it up before you)_

_My name’s Berthold (a.k.a. Mister the Tall Pianist). Nice to meet you._

You laughed quietly as Berthold had to use 2 post-its to reply to your message, but felt incredibly happy that he did.

You tucked the pieces of paper in your agenda to be conserved and climbed up the stairs to go to your usual spot in the tier, the nearest to the stage where the grand piano stood, and settled to study.

As per usual, Berthold came in just a few minutes after you, starting a tune quietly at first, as if he didn’t want to be heard. However, try as he might, he couldn’t help himself from getting absorbed by the vibrations of the grand piano.

You would take a peek at him from time to time only to see him with his eyes closed peacefully as his fingers graced the keyboard, having learned their dance a while ago.

Today’s song reminded you of a prayer. You felt like Berthold was trying to reach out to the Heavens with the high notes, but remembered his status as a lowly human being through the lower notes, quieter, more modest. It held such a yearning for... such a yearning for something that you couldn’t put your finger on that it made you curious all over again.

So when you were about to leave the hall after your study lesson, you left another note for him, exactly where you had left yours the first time.

 

_Your music was beautiful as always. Really helpful for my studying! :)_

_But tell me, what is it you were praying for back there on the stage?_


	5. Part 5

_What if it was to see you again?_

_Do you think the Gods will allow me to?_

_Even for a brief second?_

 

Your heart fluttered at the three post-its that were neatly placed on the door.

He wanted to see you again. You could barely believe it. You were so excited you just wanted to go sit back to the same place you were at on your first encounter with him.

Just as you started making your way to the 7th row after picking up the notes, you stopped in your track, suddenly remembering his uneasiness of playing in front of a public. You didn’t want to make him feel nervous and you really needed today’s study lesson as it was for an exam for the next day. You couldn’t let yourself get sidetracked, even when your heart was screaming at you to show yourself, that something good would happen if you did.

Of course, you took for the rational part of your brain and made your way upstairs instead, settling in your usual spot.

When Berthold came in and saw nobody in the music hall, his mind was relieved, but his heart dropped as it also meant that you weren’t there.

Maybe that was too fast? You probably wrote this second message just to be nice...

But your question... you understood his music so well, it was as if you felt it just like he did, though you were able to put words on it while he could just put notes and measures.

So he tried to look out for your early departure (as you would always leave him a note before he finished practice and not before, he deduced that you had to be leaving before him). However, he ended up feeling overwhelmed by his emotions as soon as he had laid a finger on a pale key.

The resulting melody was heavy with sadness, every note falling like lonely raindrops and flooding the room with solitude.

This unusual and never before heard tone in Bertholdt’s music concerned you. Yet, it mesmerized you all the same, just like all the other tunes he had played before. Though, instead of lifting your spirit to a state of peacefulness, it felt like the notes seeped right through you like cold water, drenching your soul and making your body feel tense and heavy as you slumped deeper in your chair. Even the room seemed to darken as the notes filled the room, thickening the air as they had no means to escape.

You stared blankly at your notebook, the lines and words still as clear as day, although you couldn’t read them anymore.

... So much for wanting to study for tomorrow’s exam...

But you couldn’t help but wonder what could have saddened the pianist so much. Maybe he had a bad day or an argument with a friend or maybe it was family issues? It couldn’t possibly be because you didn’t show yourself... right?

You tried to shake off the questions from your mind to focus again on your studies and though the music made it slow and painful, you still got through your notes twice and told yourself that you could study more once at home.

So you closed your books and shut your eyes and relaxed in your chair for a few minutes, basking in the music for the time being... You wondered what you were going to write him in today’s Post-it. For sure, you  were going to ask him what made him so sad all of a sudden, but what else could you add?

You straightened your back to look over the railing only to see the tall pianist with his eyes clenched shut, as if he refused to accept reality. His lips were drawn into a thin line, his jaw probably as tense as his shoulders. His back was also beginning to arch, his head slowly falling towards the piano with the desire to disappear into the crease of his shoulders as if he were a turtle.

That’s when you realized just how tall he was...

That’s when you knew exactly what to write into his next Post-it.


	6. Part 6

_Hey, why so sad today?_

_Did something bad happen?_

_By the way, you should keep your head up high more often, the Hunchback of Notre Dame doesn’t suit you much._

_Don’t be afraid to stand tall. With your posture and talent, it’s majestic._

 

Bertholdt was panicking. It was a wonder how he managed not to hyperventilate by now.

“Dude, relax, she just told you to stand tall.” Reiner sighed as he sat beside his best friend in the school’s cafeteria.

“But that means she noticed how tall I was!” Bertholdt whispered harshly as he tried to stay quiet in his panic.

“Just like everyone does, what’s different here?”

“Reiner, you don’t understand-”

“If she’s going to like you back, she’s going to like you and your tallness, so what’s the point to worry about?”

“You said ‘if’!”

“But this ‘if’ is disappearing. Look there” Reiner took the little slip of paper from Bertholdt’s hands and pointed to the last sentence. “She keeps complimenting you, she even said that your posture made you look majestic!”

“But-”

“A compliment is a compliment.” Reiner interrupted him again, matter-of-factly. “That also means she likes this about you so what do you have left to be worried about?”

Bertholdt looked down at his fingers taping a tune on the table and sighed, admitting defeat.


	7. Part 7

_I was playing for someone I believed was a ghost._

_But it seems I was mistaken._

_I’m glad._ _J_

_So I will stand tall for you._

_And only for you._

 

This time around, you didn’t want to leave a note, fearing the next one he would leave you would actually make your heart explode in a burst of butterflies and extremely cheesy glittery rose petals and bubbles. It was enough that this one nearly did, you didn’t want to take any chance.

But then again… You could be making up your own ideas, right? Such a handsome, talented, cute, shy and just perfect piece of man could not have taken such a liking to someone like you so fast, right? You didn’t think of yourself as a person who could stand out from the crowd, not like he could… After all, he didn’t even notice your presence the first time you talked; not before you had made yourself known at least.

Of course this didn’t mean that you were plain invisible (though he did think you were a ghost…), but rather that people could only get to see what made you different and special once they got to know you better. What could you do more? You were modest with strangers, so it’s not like you bragged about what made you so awesome all the time.

You nearly bumped into the music hall’s wooden door as you came back to reality.

Today, you had decided not to go up to the tier, but to your favorite place on the 7th row. You had decided to prove him that you weren’t a ghost, but mostly you had decided you wanted to have the best place to see him stand tall.

You breathed in before you pushed the door open just enough for you to slip into the room and quietly shut it behind you.

That’s only then that you realized how dark it was compared to the other days. Maybe you were the only one here yet and that the last ones who left had shut the lights? At least you didn’t have any studying to do for once so it’s not like you absolutely needed light. If anything, maybe you could take a short power nap as you waited for Bertholdt to arrive…

So you made your way to the seventh row, not noticing the slender figure standing on the stage in front of the piano. You sat down in your place like nothing was wrong and even took the time to find the most comfortable position to nap…

But you couldn’t fall asleep. Why? Because you felt observed. You peeked an eye open to see the dark figure before you, unmoving on the stage.

Your first thought: Oh my Gosh it’s Slenderman.

But lucky as you were, you stayed petrified on your chair, staring through the dark with your eyes wide open until a spot was lit to illuminate the figure, blinding you.

You blinked a few times to get rid of the white spots covering your vision. Turns out the presumed Slenderman was inoffensive Bertholdt patiently waiting for you to arrive in the music hall. Meanwhile, he had straightened his uniform and did his best to tidy up his appearance to look his best for you. 

Though he couldn’t help sweating more and more as you stared at him, still shocked and confused. Maybe you were starting to think that he was a creep? 

‘Please, God, no…’ he pleaded in his mind as he bowed and made his way around the piano and (hopefully) take place with elegance… 

You were once again mesmerized as his fingers slowly graced the keys of the instrument with their magic. However, what made the music even more incredible was the man from which it was coming from… 

Bertholdt could feel your eyes on him. It made his fingers stiff and twitchy, but the worse feeling was the one of his school uniform clinging to his body. He was sweating so bad and it didn’t help that the spot was right upon him. He closed his eyes for a moment, erasing everything around him aside the music and his own feelings… 

You thought your heart was skipping beats as you looked at him sitting with his back straight, his head lightly lolling to the soft sound of the music. His melody quickly grew so passionate, the walls around you didn’t exist anymore… 

He felt as if he was floating amongst the stars, the galaxies around him formed swarms of dark blues, purples, pinks, oranges and bright yellows while the stars took the shape of his very emotions. He couldn’t identify well what they were depicting to him, but he didn’t feel the need to know it anyway. 

He knew he had you listening to help him understand it afterwards. 

And it made him feel great. 

Unbeknownst to him, you had followed him into his little dream, moved by the music. Though, unlike the other times, you couldn’t put your finger on the main emotion, the main motivation driving his fingers across the keys. 

You were overwhelmed. 

And it made you feel great. 

As the melody descended from its peak, you and Bertholdt came back to reality. A moment of silence followed as the musician regained his breath. Then he stood up, made his way back to the same spot where he was standing before to bow again, silently thanking you to have listened to him until the very end. 

When you noticed that he refused to straighten his back again, you took all your courage and poured it into your next sentence so that it would sound relaxed and cool. 

“Well, Mister the Tall Pianist…” Bertholdt jerked his head up at the sound of his nickname, you smiled. “I’ve never seen you look so authentic.” 

He slowly went back to a straight standing position, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. 

He had succeeded. And it was only the beginning… 

 

Extra:

As you sat with Bertholdt and Reiner at the cafeteria, you listened to the bulky blonde relating the hell coach Ackerman had given him for skipping only one football practice. 

“But why did you skip if you knew this would happen?” You asked, confused by his apparent lack of logic. 

“Oh, I was busy helping out a friend to get the girl of his dreams.” 

Berthold tensed and stared at Reiner, silently ordering him to shut his trap. 

“I see… As long as it turned out well for them, I guess it was worth it, right?” 

“I like how you think, girl.” Reiner smirked and winked at his friend when his new girlfriend wasn’t looking. 

Indeed, it had turned into a lovely relationship~


End file.
